Home Staging SOP

Home staging addresses and refines the numerous sensory impacts a home will have on potential buyers. One important sense, that is sometimes overlooked, is that of smell. Smell, triggers memory which triggers emotion. Essentially, you want the smell to sell your home. Aim to trigger positive emotions through smell and eliminate the potential to trigger any negative emotions.

Have you ever walked into a home and felt turned off by a smell you can’t put your finger on? The smell may not even be so bad, but it is definitely distinct. A good place to start before adding any new smells in your home staging adventure, is to neutralize already existing smells. A distinct smell may be good for you, but a more neutral smell is good for the masses. It is a good precaution to neutralize the smells in your home, even if you think your home smells fine. Chances are there is a distinct smell to your home, which could be a turn-off to others.

To start neutralizing the odors in your home:

– Have your carpets professionally cleaned, or at the very least clean them with a product that contains a neutralizer.

– If you are not going for a professional clean make sure to focus on any stains yourself. Old pet stains could still be emmitting odor. Eliminate what you can.

– Have all drapes in your home cleaned.

– Wash all bed linens and blankets. With all your cleaning, use non-allergenic products if at all possible.

– If you have pets, try to have them out of the house prior to a viewing. Likewise if you have cats, remove the cat litter from the premises and if there is any other pet paraphernalia such as toys or blankets, remove them as well.

– This may seem obvious, but remove all garbage from the house before showing your home.

– Stinky shoes belonging to you or your children should be stored away in an air tight container.

– Vinegar is a great cleaning agent and combats smell without being toxic or commonly allergenic. Use vinegar (1/2 cup to one gallon on hot water) to clean floors, countertops and bathrooms.

– Make sure there is no dirty laundry. Keep up with the wash and again try to use neutral smelling and natural products.

– If there are any smokers in the house keep them (or at least their smoking!) outside in the weeks, or even months prior to your viewings. The smell of cigarettes definitely does not fall into the “neutral smells” category.

Once you have done all the grunt work and your home smells neutral as a puff of scentlessness, you can then consider adding some natural, inoffensive aromas. Citrus scents are nice and refreshing. Try running a grapefruit or orange skin through your garbage disposal just before showing your home. Essential oils are a wise choice. Look for products with lavender, tea-tree, eucalyptus, pine and sage. These are cleansing, calming and rejuvenating scents that will evoke pleasing emotions for most viewers. There are great room sprays you can find with all-natural ingredients. Test them before your showings. You don’t want anything too pungent. Once you have eliminated the bad and the distinct odors, a hint of something clean and refreshing is all you’ll need.

For your next home staging, rid your home of smelly deterrents and fill it with the sweet smell of success.

Eric Badgley is a motivated and professional realtor located in beautiful Whatcom County. For information contact Eric at http://www.bellingham-realestate.net/chuckanut.php

Plan of Attack
Definitions
Epidemiology
Goals of Management
Diagnosis
Managing Stable COPD
Managing Acute Exacerbations of COPD

A disease state characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible. Airflow limitation is usually both progressive and associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to noxious particles or gases. Symptoms, functional abnormalities, and complications of COPD can all be explained on the basis of this underlying inflammation and the resulting pathology.
Definitions
Chronic Bronchitis (clinical)
Sputum production more days than not for at least 3 months a year for at least 2 years
Emphysema (pathologic)
Parenchymal destruction airspace walls distal to terminal bronchioles, without fibrosis
Important: You can have either, but to have COPD you MUST demonstrate obstruction (thus the O in COPD)

Epidemiology
Fourth leading cause of death in U.S.
100,000 American deaths each year
15-20% of chronic smokers develop COPD
2.5% mortality for COPD hospital admissions
COPD with acute respiratory failure:
24% in hospital mortality
59% one year mortality
If you have COPD and PaCO2 > 50mmHg:
67% chance of being alive in 6 months
57% chance of being alive in 12 months

Diagnosis
Symptoms
Dyspnea
Sputum production (especially in the morning)
Recurrent acute chest illnesses
Headache in the morning possible hypercapnia
Cor pulmonale (Right heart failure)

Goals Of Management
Identifying and ameliorating (if possible) the cause of the acute exacerbation
Optimizing lung function by administering bronchodilators and other pharmacotherapy
Assuring adequate oxygenation and secretion clearance
Averting the need for intubation, if possible
Preventing complications of immobility, such as thromboemboli and deconditioning
Addressing nutritional needs at the time of the acute illness, most patients are in negative nitrogen balance, which is exacerbated by steroid therapy

Diagnosis:
Signs
Prolonged expiratory time
Expiratory wheezes
Increased AP diameter of chest
Decreased breath sounds (especially upper lung fields)
Distant heart sounds
End stage: accessory muscles, pursed lip breathing, cyanosis, enlarged liver and pedal edema (in case of cor pulmonale).

Diagnosis
Radiology
Chest X-ray
Hyperinflated lung fields more radiolucent
Bullae, often bilateral upper lobes in smokers
Flat diaphragms (best seen on lateral) and retrosternal airspace can indicate air trapping
High Resolution CT of Chest
Most sensitive to detect above changes
No role in routine care of COPD patients
Can be useful for giant bullous disease surgeries or lung volume reduction surgery planning

Diagnosis
Pulmonary Function Testing
Spirometry: Decreased FEV1/FVC
FEV1 percent predicted defines severity
Lung volumes: Increased TLC, RV, RV/TLC
DLCO: Decreased

Gold Staging Criteria
Stage O: Normal spirometry; chronic sx
Stage 1 (Mild):
FEV1/FVC 80% predicted
Stage 2 (Moderate):
FEV1/FVC
2A: FEV1 50-80% predicted
2B: FEV1 30-50% predicted

Diagnosis
Stage 3 (severe):
FEV1/FVC
FEV1
FEV1

Diagnosis
American Thoracic Society Spirometry
Low FEV1/FVC defines obstruction
FEV1%predicted Category

35-50% Severe
50-60% Moderately Severe
60-70% Moderate
70-80% Mild
80-100% Mild vs. Normal variant
> 100% Normal

Managing Stable COPD
Smoking Cessation Is KEY!
YOUR intervention will make a difference must address at each visit
Medication
Two therapies ONLY have been shown to improve mortality in stable COPD:
1) Smoking Cessation
2) Oxygen Therapy

Bronchodilator Technique
MDIs get better drug deposition than nebs
Use a spacer device with MDIs
Technique is key important for patient and doctor
Inadequate dosing can hamper treatment

Sympathomimetics
Beta-2 selectivity is good
Some additive vs. slightly synergistic effects of combining beta-2 agonist and ipratropium (Combivent)
Some data to support decreased H.influenzae pneumonia incidence with Serevent
Anticholinergic Agents (Atrovent, glycopyrrolate)
Similar ability to bronchodilate (in appropriate doses) as beta-agonists
Also reduces sputum volume; no change in viscosity
Usually under dosed
Recommend 2 (36 mcg) puffs qid
glycopyrrolate which is manufactured for IV/IM use for other indications, is available only “off label” for nebulized use in COPD (1 to 2 mg every two to four hours).
Aminophylline and theophylline are not recommended for the management of acute exacerbations of COPD. Randomized controlled trials of intravenous aminophylline in this setting have failed to show efficacy in excess of that afforded by therapy with inhaled bronchodilators and corticosteroids

Mucokinetic agents
There is little evidence supporting the use of mucokinetic (mucolytic) agents, such as N-acetylcysteine or iodide preparations, in acute exacerbations of COPD. In fact, some drugs of this class may worsen bronchospasm.

Oxygen. Yes.
Demonstrated to improve exercise performance, symptom indices and mortality
Goal in hypercapnic patients for SpO2 need not be greater than 88-90%
Always test COPD patients for oxygenation with ambulation if baseline at rest room air SpO2 ok

Systemic Corticosteroids
Never demonstrated to significantly impact mortality or exercise capacity
Slight improvements in symptom indices
Significant side effects
Rarely of benefit, generally of harm to your patient
Occasionally useful in a small subset failing other therapies AND with demonstrated bronchodilator response on PFTs

Inhaled Corticosteroids
Jury still out
Lots of recent research with some favorable data supporting its use
May be part of standard regimens in the future

Vaccines
Pneumovax, annual flu shots
Chronic antibiotic therapy BAD IDEA
Nutritional status Important
Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Improved exercise capacity, symptom scores
Lung Volume Reduction Surgery
Transplant

Managing Acute Exacerbations of COPD
Common precipitants:
Infection esp viral or bacterial
Acute bronchospasm
Sedation

Who To Admit
Countless studies, few definite answers
Worsening hypoxemia and/or hypercapnia
Otherwise, mostly a clinical decision
Key points to consider:
Oxygen
Bronchodilators
Steroids
Antibiotics

Albuterol:
Neb or MDI neb MAY be better in acute setting, but MDIs have better drug deposition overall
Continuous nebulizer treatments confer no benefit over treatments every 1-2 hours
Generally should avoid subcutaneous beta-agonists
BEWARE: Hypokalemia, tachycardia (occasional)
Levalbuterol still with weak clinical data few situations where it is clinically indicated

ATROVENT (anticholinergic bronchodilator)
Bronchodilation
May decrease secretions
Few significant side effects
Usually significantly under dosed emerging data supports much higher doses than usually used currently

Corticosteroids Parenteral corticosteroids are frequently used in treating acute exacerbations of COPD. Methylprednisolone (60 to 125 mg intravenously, two to four times daily) or the equivalent glucocorticoid dose of other steroid preparations commonly is given.
Corticosteroids Utilization in this setting was initially based upon small randomized trials in which only a minority of patients benefit and the degree of improvement is modest
A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 271 patients has confirmed the benefits of systemic corticosteroids given for up to 2 weeks to hospitalized patients with COPD exacerbation

Antibiotics
Winnipeg Criteria (give for 2-3 of the following):
Increased cough
Increased purulence
Increased sputum production
Antibiotics accelerate improvement in peak expiratory flow rates and lessen the rate of recrudescence in this setting
Amoxicillin, Doxycycline, TMP/SMX, Azithromycin, Clarithromycin, Levaquin for 10 days

Mucokinetic Agents JUST SAY NO.
N-acetylcysteine is actually contraindicated in patients with airway obstruction
No significant clinical benefit ever demonstrated
Chest PT, intermittent positive pressure breathing and postural drainage may actually be harmful in the setting of acute obstruction

Methylxanthines (Theophylline, Aminophylline)
Not recommended for acute exacerbations
No significant benefit ever demonstrated in large, prospective trials

Oxygen: YES!
Generally a good thing cells like that stuff
If requiring a significant increase in FiO2 over baseline requirement, start hunting for something other than just COPD exacerbation
BEWARE of CO2 RETAINERS! (goal SpO2 90%, PaO2 of 60 to 65 mmHg )
1) Altered V/Q relationships
2) Haldane effect (Hgb*O2 holds less CO2 goes out into plasma)
3) Decreased ventilatory drive (least impt mechanism)

Non-Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation
BiPAP
Set FiO2, inspiratory (IPAP) and expiratory (EPAP)
Difference between IPAP and EPAP augments tidal volume, therefore improving minute ventilation. CO2 then gets blown off
MORTALITY BENEFIT in patients who will tolerate

Mechanical Ventilation
Respiratory distress
Acidemia that does not correct quickly with therapy
Inability to oxygenate adequately
Often a clinical decision relative to patients work of breathing

Ever wonder why some homes for sale sell quickly and others stay on the market for quite some time? For home owners who are eager to sell, a long transition period can be very frustrating, time consuming and costly. Luckily, home staging is a real estate process that anyone can try. It can speed up the sale of your home just by making simple adjustments. Home staging helps to make your home’s beautiful features stand out and entice buyers.

Here are some tips for home staging your house.

1. When it comes to real estate, keep things clean. Cleanliness is the first thing a potential home buyer will notice, so take extra time in cleaning every room before an open house or showing. You want every room to look spotless – even the areas where you wouldn’t normally explore. Washing, dusting, steaming and cleaning are all important tasks when making sure your house is immaculately clean.

2. Clear out the clutter. Try to de-clutter your home as much as possible by sorting through what you need for your new house, and what you can give away. Minimize clutter on shelves, countertops, and coffee table. If you can, hold a garage sale with the items you won’t need.

3. Let your home show its personality. Remove any family photos, personal awards, souvenirs, etc. When potential buyers walk into your home they want to envision their life- not someone else’s.

4. Draw them in from the outside. The outdoor appearance of a home is a vital factor when buying. It is the first thing buyers will see when they walk into the home. Be sure to paint and/or wash the house’s exterior walls and inspect the gutters, windows and chimney. Also make sure the lawn is trim and your plants and gardens are tended to.

Real estate can be a tricky industry for home sellers and home buyers. That’s why it’s important to explore the benefits that come from home staging. Imagine selling your home in a matter of hours or days just by applying some simple adjustments to the look of your home. Home staging is a great tool if you are finding it difficult selling your home. East2WestHomes.com offers a complete listing of homes for sale in Burlington, Mississauga and Oakville areas and includes valuable real estate information.

East2WestHomes.com offers a complete listing of homes in Mississauga, Burlington homes, and Oakville areas and includes valuable real estate information.

The pricing structure (and items you charge for) you set up for your home staging services can either make or break your business. Good for you to follow your heart and get into a career you enjoy, but if youre doing something you love and not making money, its not a business its a hobby.

Even if youre the best home stager in your city, if you charge a flat rate for your services, you could end up broke faster than you think. In fact, you could be setting yourself up to flat-line a business that could otherwise be extremely profitable.

Charging by the square foot or setting a flat rate per room is a common mistake that has ended more than one home stagers career. Why? No two spaces are ever the same. It could take more time for you to stage a 900-square-foot condo than a 3,000-square-foot detached home. Why should you charge the same rate for both?

When youre elbow deep in a project and realize it will take hours more to complete than you originally estimated its too late. By charging a flat rate instead of by the hour, you will have successfully undercut yourself!

There are several scenarios youre likely to find yourself in if you do any amount of home staging at all. In these classic time-sucking situations, your flat rate couldnt possibly compensate for the amount of time thats wasted:

Your home staging client has to tell you the entire background of each piece of furniture or art work in their home and why they love them all.

Your staging consultation is interrupted dozens of times by a client thats constantly taking phone calls or breaking up fights between screaming children.

You find yourself elbow-deep in a project only to learn that the client has changed their mind about using your services.

You end up in the midst of heaps of clutter that would rival an Oprah hoarder episode, spending hours to go through your clients beloved items.

If you have the proper hourly pricing strategy in place, none of these time-suckers will matter. In fact, if clients like these are eating up your time, youre making more money by charging hourly. However, if you charge by the square foot or by the room you will find yourself working for nothing much of the time. Im sure you didnt go into business for yourself to lose money.

If you dont charge by the hour for your home staging services, you really need to reconsider your pricing strategy before you burnout from all the extra work you must do to make ends meet or your business flat-lines.

For a long time now, Spain has been the destination for thousands of emigrants who leave their home in search of the Good Life. From fresh-faced students to retired statesmen, people have flocked here in their droves, in order to set up a home and learn Spanish.

But why is Spain such a popular place to live?

Weather

The sunny Spanish weather is a famed draw for tourists and emigrants alike. While there are places here that experience quite rainy conditions for much of the year (the northern areas, for example), most of Spain basks in wonderful sunshine, especially during summer when it comes a beach-lovers delight.

Variety

Spain is primarily known for its major cities and its magnificent beaches. Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia and Bilbao are all great urban destinations (especially for those who like to indulge in the cultural bustle of big cities), while much of the east and south coast is taken up by mile upon mile of simply idyllic coastline.

In a few select places (Barcelona and Cadiz, say), the urban fun and seaside relaxation meet with aplomb. As a result, these are extremely popular places to set up home in, especially if you can secure living quarters in enigmatic parts of the city. Barcelona apartments in the Barri Gotic, for example, may come at a premium, but theyre well worth the cost, given their surroundings and the proximity of the Barceloneta beach.

Cost of Living

For a European country, Spain is famously easy on the wallet. Day to day life here comes at a pittance when compared to other similar sized countries in the continent: food is cheap, alcohol is cheaper, and even housing is happily affordable (in terms of apartments Valencia, Seville, Madrid and Barcelona all offer a slew of well-priced and available places).

Attitude to Life

Probably the major reason behind Spains appeal to foreigners looking to move overseas is its fun-loving attitude to life. Theres a shared reluctance to do anything too exertive here; life should be spent in cafes on plazas, sipping coffee or drinking beer (preferably with the beach in sight).

Spain is also a country thats known for its love of the fiesta (party). Fiestas tend to start close to midnight, and carry on well into the sunlit hours of the next day. All in all, their friendly indulgence comes to symbolize all that is so good about this exciting and beautiful South European country.